Tunisia Freezes Bank Accounts of 102 Terror Suspects

Tunisia’s National Counter-Terrorism Commission issued Saturday the third batch of decisions on freezing funds and economic resources against 39 terror suspects.

The orders include freezing funds, bank accounts and assets of Tunisian individuals, organizations and entities suspected of involvement in terror-related activities.

In this context, the Commission’s President, Mokhtar Ben Nasr, confirmed that these measures were imposed against 102 individuals and one terrorist organization since November 2018.

The decisions fall within the framework of the Commission’s ongoing work to address terrorism finance and to prosecute suspects, who are involved in terror-related activities or in contact with terrorist organizations.

Its work comes in line with what had been stipulated in Tunisia’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Counter-Terrorist Financing (CFT) law, ratified in 2015, as well as the government’s order to control the implementation of resolutions issued by relevant UN bodies on the prevention of terrorism financing and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, security forces in Kasserine Governorate announced arresting a 15-year-old man on charges of contacting terrorist elements and providing assistance to terrorist organizations hiding in mountains near Kasserine.

Security sources affirmed seizing remnants of mobile phones and wires held by the accused, indicating contacts with terrorist organizations, adding that further security investigations are to be carried out.

On the other hand, a trial court in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, gave jail terms that varied between six and 10 years to 15 suspects accused of providing medical and food aid and sheltering members of a terror cell accused of attacking and killing security and army servicemen.

Security investigations showed that the 15 who assisted the terrorist cell did not embrace extremist ideology but sought to obtain money by providing logistical assistance to terrorists holed up in mountainous areas.

Apparently, the 15 were paid between 200 and 400 Tunisian dinars ($ 66- $ 133) for aid per operation.